Single-track railway.



S. ZSINKO.

SINGLE TRAGK RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1912 Patented 0013.22, 1912 77 2 was esZSuzka COLUMBIA PLANOGRAFH c0..wAsmNnToN. D. c.

STEVEN ZSINKO, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SINGLE-TRACK RAILWAY.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 29, 1912.

Patented Oct. 22,1912. Serial No. 674,189.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEVEN ZSINKO, a subject of the King of Hungary,having declared my intention of becoming a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Single-T rack Railway, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for transporting passengers ormerchandise, being particularly adaptable in the form shown anddescribed as an amusement device.

The railway consists of a single track and a car of particularconstruction adapted to be operated on the track, and one of the mainobjects of my invention is to produce a railway of the characterdescribed of simple form and construction which may be operated with aminimum expenditure of propulsion energy.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter from the followingspecification.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes onlFigure 1 is a side elevation of a track and car thereon embodying a formof my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the track, showingthe car thereon partially in section. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionalview on line 50 w The track comprises a single rail 1 supported on abeam 2 and secured thereto by means of spikes 3. The track 1 is providedin its upper face with a longitudinal groove 4 and a longitudinal groove5 in each side face thereof. The beam 2 in the present instance is shownsupported on cross ties 6 which may be embedded in the surface of theground, or if desired may be supported on suitable frame-work orstructure for the purpose of elevating the track, as is com monly donein forms of coaster railways.

The car in the form shown, devised for running upon a track of the formhere ofore described, is shown as a car adapted to carry passengers. Thecar comprises a bod 10 provided with suitable seats 11, the body 10being supported on four springs 12, the upper ends of which engage ingrooves formed in pins 13 on brackets 14, which brackets 11 are securedto the bottom of the car in any suitable manner. The lower end of eachspring 12 engages in grooves formed in pins 15 extending upwardly from atruck 16. The truck 16 is provided at the forward and rear ends thereofwith suitable bearings 17 and 18 respectively for the purpose ofsupporting axles 19, 19. The forward axle 19 has mounted thereon aspherical-shaped wheel 20, and the rear axle 19 has similarly mountedthereon a sphericalshaped wheel 21, the wheels 20 and 21 being adaptedto ride in the groove t formed in the upper face of the track 1.Extending downwardly at each side of the truck 16 is a bracket 24provided at the upper and lower ends thereof with suitable bearings 25and 26 respectively adapted to support a vertical shaft 27. Each shaft27 has mounted thereon a spherical wheel 28, the wheels 28 each beingadapted to engage and ride in the grooves 5 formed in each side of thetrack 1.

The truck 16 and downwardly extending brackets 2st comprise a rigidmember adapt ed to carry the spherical wheels 20 and 21 and the wheels28 at each side of the track in such a manner that the truck16 can notbe tilted sidewise to any appreciable extent, the depressions in thesides of the track 1 being of a sufficient depth to permit the sphericalwheels 28 to extend thereinto a sufficient distance to prevent either ofthe wheels 28 from riding over the upper edges 30 of the track. The car,as above described, may be used upon the track in the same manner as aroller coaster, in which case the weight of the passengers in the cargives the car sutlicient momentum to carry the car along the track. Ifit is desired, means may be employed for driving the car and for thispurpose I have shown a sprocket-wheel 31 mounted on the rear shaft 19 ofthe truck, which sprocket-wheel 31 is driven by a chain 32 which in turnis driven by means of a sprocket 33 on a motor shaft 34 of a motor 35.The motor 35, as shown, may be located beneath one of the seats of thecar and an suitable controller means, as indicated at 36, may beprovided for the attendant to control the movement of the car.

If it is desired, a feed wire may be embedded in the upper groove 4: ofthe track adapted to be engaged by the wheels 20 and 21 in such a mannerthat the wheels and shafts thereof conduct electric energy from the feedwire 40 to the truck 16, which truck 16 may be connected by suitablewires 41 to the motor.

With a track formed as above described,

1 a front spherical wheel and a rear spherical longitudinal groove ineach side face thereof, a front spherical wheel and a rear sphericalwheel adapted to engage the groove in the upper face of the rail, aspherical wheel at each side of said rail, intermediate said front andrear wheels, adapted to engage the grooves in the sides of the rail, atruck supported on said wheels, and a car body elastically supported onsaid truck.

4. In combinatiom'a single rail having a longitudinal groove in itsupper face and a longitudinal groove in each side face thereof, a frontspherical wheel and a rear spherical wheel adapted to engage the groovein the upper face of the rail, a spherical wheel at each side of saidrail, intermediate said front and rear wheels, adapted to engage thegrooves in the sides of the rail, a truck above said wheels andsupported thereon in fixed relation thereto a car body above said truck,and a plurality of springs between said truck and said car body forelastically supporting said car body 011 said truck.

and a truck with wheels adapted to engage the track as above described,it is necessary that the truck be placed upon the track at the end ofthe track, the wheels 20 and 21 entering the groove 4L in the upper faceof the track and the side wheels 28 entering the grooves 5 in each sideof the track, after which the car can not be removed from the trackunless the same is removed by running the car to the end of the track.

What I claim is 1. In combination, a single rail having a longitudinalgroove in its upper face and a longitudinal groove in each side face, awheel adapted to engage the groove in the 1 upper face of the rail, awheel at each side l of said rail adapted to engage the grooves in thesides of the rail, and carrying means supported by said Wheels.

2. In combination, a single rail having a longitudinal groove in itsupper face and a longitudinal groove in each side face thereof,

to engage the groove in the l upper face of the rail a spherical wheelat each side of said rail, intermediate said front and rear wheels,adapted to engage the grooves in the sides of the rail, and carryingmeans supported by said wheels. 3. In combination, a single rail havinga longitudinal groove in its upper face and a wheel adapted my hand atLos Angeles, California, this 19th day of January, 1912.

STEVEN ZSINKO.

In presence of FRANK L. A. GRAHAM, SAMUEL VARADY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set

